Canes Agree Terms with Angelidis, Fitzgerald

Depth players receive one-year, two way contracts

RALEIGH, NC—Jason Karmanos, Vice President and Assistant General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, announced today that the team has agreed to terms with forward Mike Angelidis and defenseman Zack Fitzgerald on one-year, two-way contracts for 2009-10.

“Mike and Zack each bring tough, gritty play to the Hurricanes organization,” said Karmanos. “Mike has been a key member of our AHL team in the past three years, and Zach is a stay-at-home defenseman that adds necessary depth to our defense.”

Angelidis, 24, played in 67 AHL regular-season games in 2008-09 with Carolina’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Albany River Rats, scoring 15 goals and earning 10 assists (25 points). The Unionville, Ont., native also led Albany with 142 penalty minutes, despite suffering a season-ending injury on March 20 at Providence. Angelidis (6’1”, 210 lbs.) has scored 30 goals, earned 31 assists (61 points) and accumulated 337 penalty minutes in 168 career AHL regular-season games, all with Albany. His new deal keeps him with the Hurricanes organization, which signed him as an undrafted free agent in July 2006. Angelidis will make $500,000 at the NHL level or $55,000 at the AHL level in 2009-10, with $55,000 guaranteed.

Fitzgerald, 24, joins the Carolina organization after playing the entire 2008-09 season with Manitoba of the AHL. The Two Harbors, MN, last season led the Moose with 209 penalty minutes, and ranked third among team defensemen with a plus-13 plus/minus rating, despite playing in just 56 of 80 games. Fitzgerald (6’1”, 214 lbs.) has scored six goals, earned 14 assists (20 points) and totaled 500 penalty minutes in 146 career AHL regular-season games with Peoria and Manitoba. The St. Louis Blues drafted Fitzgerald in the third round, 88th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, and he was traded to Vancouver on Aug. 1, 2007. He made his NHL debut with the Canucks at Dallas on Feb. 5, 2008, skating 13:20 of ice time. Fitzgerald’s deal will pay him $500,000 in the NHL or $60,000 in the AHL in 2009-10, with $65,000 guaranteed.